Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site

08/09/2026

Do you like my dog sled? Do you like it? Do you like it? (cue vigorous tail wagging)

This excitable puppy wrangled the other huskies to haul some more books to the Victoria Settlement gift shop.

Huskies-in-a-can $15 each
Buffalo Days and Nights book by Peter Erasmus $30
Making a dog sled out of gift shop items: priceless

(Gentle reminder that the gift shop is cash only.)

08/07/2026

Looking for an historic adventure?

Many people speak very nostalgically about riding the ferry across the river here at Pakan.
But did you know there are still some rivers in Alberta that you can cross on a ferry? The next time you’re planning a road trip, consider trying out these modern-day ferries for a wee taste of what life at Pakan used to be like.
https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-ferry-schedules -4


Photo of the Pakan ferry courtesy of the Provincial Archives of Alberta, A11856.

08/05/2026

Warning! Participating in Games and Sports 1896 may result in huge smiles.

Activities run all day Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9 from 10 am to 5 pm.

08/02/2026

Happy August Long Weekend!
Victoria Settlement is open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday August 3rd from 10 am to 5 pm.
Bring a picnic, go for a tour, and spend some time with our shared history.

07/31/2026

It’s back!!
The highly anticipated, exceptionally difficult to find, and much-beloved book Buffalo Days and Nights is back in stock on Victoria Settlement’s gift shop shelves.

For $30, you can take home the story of Peter Erasmus’ life.

Translator, guide, school teacher, renowned buffalo hunter, fur trader, freighter, and the man who seemed to cross paths with an unreasonably large number of famous people, Peter Erasmus’ 98 years of life was full. Buffalo Days and Nights is the memoir of his life he dictated to Henry Thompson. It’s full of adventure, historical tidbits, and insight into a rapidly changing world.

Victoria Settlement’s gift shop is cash only.



Photo courtesy of the Provincial Archives of Alberta, A1821

07/29/2026

This Octopus bag shows the cultural artistry of Métis women and the great skill that they hold.

Stunning artistry, and a real labour of love, this octopus bag is dated to 1959 from Fort Garry (Winnipeg). Similarly beautiful bags would likely have been made and worn around Fort Victoria.

Have you ever tried making a beaded octopus bag?

Content The artistry of an Octopus Bag January 12, 2022 By Coral Madge, 2021 ISMI Intern Octopus bags, named for their eight legs, are a beautiful representation of love. These bags were made by Métis women as gifts for their husbands at the beginning of their marriage. Tucked into a woven sash or...

07/26/2026

Imagine a world where the only ways to communicate with people living far away was to physically travel to see them, send a telegram, or write a letter, but your community didn’t have a post office.

This was the situation for people living in Victoria Settlement. Until 1887, when the post office named “Pakan” was established. Now imagine how excited you might have been!

While you’re thinking about the key role of mail in people’s lives, take a look at this brief history of Canada’s postal service.

https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2018/spac-pspc/P4-83-2016-eng.pdf

07/17/2026

Ever wonder why the river lots at Victoria Settlement still exist when the river lots in so many other places disappeared?
Stop by Victoria Settlement this weekend to explore the twists and turns along the path to getting local land surveyed the way the locals wanted it.

Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 from 10 am to 5 pm.

07/15/2026

Researching homestead lands and the people who tried to farm them? Curious if a person succeeded or failed in their attempt to “prove-up”?

This helpful blog post provides some top tips to reading and understanding homestead records.

Homestead records are a valuable research tool for archaeologists, historians and for people researching their own family history or genealogy. If you want to see how homestead records can help archaeologists please read our previous blog post. Before I explain how to use these records, I will give....

07/11/2026

Have you been enjoying the FIFA world cup? There may not be soccer at Victoria Settlement, but we have a whole range of other historic games to try out during the Games and Sports 1896 event.

Have you ever played croquet?
How good is your horse-shoe game?
Can you gracefully toss and catch the hoop?
Is stilt walking your specialty?

These activities and more run all day Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12 from 10 am to 5 pm.

If the weather is poor, there will be games for the indoors.